


Forbidden Flame

by ChatterboxAngel



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Book 1, Drama, Humor, M/M, Romance, Season 1 Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-08-18 19:19:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8172965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChatterboxAngel/pseuds/ChatterboxAngel
Summary: Bolin has fallen for General Iroh and fallen hard, but there are many obstacles in his path. Winning Iroh's affections will be more difficult, and possibly more dangerous, than any fight with the Equalists ever was. He still has to try.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfiction I started years ago and originally posted on ff.net. I've finally started the project of bringing all my old fics over from that website. After the initial four chapters, updates will happen whenever inspiration strikes.

It happened in an instant and quite unexpectedly. Before his inopportune crush on General Iroh, Bolin had always, always fallen for girls. The earthender had never afore fallen for another man, and he had certainly never expected to, never even considered it a possibility. But then, that fateful day had come to pass and brought Bolin’s reality crashing down around him.

Even after the Equalists had been disbanded and Korra regained her bending, Iroh and Bolin were never really all that close. They would eat together whenever everyone gathered for dinner at Air Temple Island, and they would run into each other every so often while doing their respective jobs during Republic City’s reconstruction. But they never became much more than acquaintances. Still, they had fought battles together, been captured together, and been in hiding together with very few other people. That gave the two benders some kind of obscure yet strong connection to each other and a sturdy foundation for possible future growth.

And it was that connection that had allowed a single, simple comment to bother Bolin more than he ever thought possible. Before General Iroh’s rather expected inquiry in that Equalist prison cell, Bolin had never been truly concerned by his lack of ability to metalbend. But then General Iroh came along in all his army-commanding, fire-flying, lightning-producing, bomb-punching glory, and the young earthbender started to be bothered by his, in comparison, rather average talents. Even Asami seemed cooler than him, and she couldn’t even bend. After meeting Iroh, he had felt this insatiable need to be more than just the comic relief of Team Avatar. So, he decided to learn how to metalbend.

When he suddenly showed up at Lin Bei Fong’s door one morning, she wasn’t exactly pleased to see him. However, after talking with him for a bit, she was impressed by his determination and his drive. So, she assigned on of her top metalbenders to be his trainer. Bolin’s progress was rather slow, but he never gave up, and his effort always eventually paid off. He was far from perfect, but Bolin did manage to learn the basics of metalbending. He could only get better from there.

After he had the basics down, he was given permission to use the practice area on his own. It was there, on a day several months after Amon disappeared and peace had been mostly restored, that Bolin’s world was rather effectively kicked off its axis and realigned in an extremely disturbing way.

Bolin had been practicing all morning, trying, with his usual lack of success, to get some metalbending wires to pick up a rock and throw it. The general had just so happened to be passing through when the earthbender finally succeeded in bending the stubborn metal wires to lift a decent-sized rock and chuck it across the room. As the rock shattered against the wall next to Iroh, who sported his usual stern expression, the wires floating around Bolin dropped as all his focus was instantly concentrated on the general.

“So, the rumors are true,” Iroh mused as he walked closer to Bolin. “You really did start to learn metalbending. I’m impressed.”

“Yeah, well,” the earthbender said in an annoyed tone as he shrugged his shoulders, recalling his initial ire with the general that had been part of the reason that caused him to try and learn in the first place. “After that oh so encouraging comment in the Equalist prison cell, I was really annoyed and decided to prove that I could do it.”

“That’s what motivated you to learn metalbending?” Iroh asked with a raised eyebrow.

“You got a problem with that?” Bolin asked with a fake huff as he turned away and crossed his arms. He wasn’t truly annoyed with the general, not anymore, but he’d rather show Iroh fake annoyance than the blush that had made its way across his face as he realized that he had basically confessed to thinking a great deal about the general - his words, his actions, and his thoughts. If the earthbender were a girl, that could easily be taken the wrong way.

“On the contrary, I’m rather pleased,” Iroh said as he placed a hand on Bolin’s shoulder, startling the earthbender a bit. “I am glad my words have motivated you to improve. We need more benders with skills and determination like yours.”

“Oh…thanks,” Bolin replied as he turned back around to look Iroh in the eyes. It was only polite, after all, given the nature of the general’s comments. And now, his blush could easily be explained away by not being used to such genuine compliments. But the general either didn’t notice or didn’t ask about the blush.

“Keep up the good work Bolin,” Iroh said with an encouraging tone and a very small smile before bidding the earhbender goodbye and heading back to whatever general business he had to take care of.

It was that smile that had done Bolin in. Just a few moments of seeing that stern face just slightly relaxed into a soft smile had every emotion Bolin ever felt for Iroh taking off in frenzied flight inside of him. Twisting, turning, and melding into that strange connection they had until it transformed into something new. The strength of force of the feeling and revelation left the earthbender reeling and so weak in the knees that he fell to the ground.

Bolin couldn’t believe it, but he knew without a doubt that he had just fallen in love with the general. And he couldn’t have been more horrified. Once again, the earthbender had fallen for someone way out of his league. Someone who would never return his feelings. Someone he couldn’t even think about dating. When was his heart going to learn?

First of all, relationships between same sex couples were pretty much the most frowned upon social taboo where romantic relations were concerned. Before the Fire Nation had lost the Hundred Year War, being in love with someone of the same sex had been completely illegal and a crime punishable by death. One didn’t even have to be in a relationship, just having one’s feelings exposed could get them executed. When Avatar Aang and his friends took power, those laws had been among the first to be abolished, but even though they could eradicate the laws, they couldn’t change people’s opinions. So, loving someone of the same sex was still pretty much considered forbidden.

Not to mention, Iroh was the general of an army and the son of freaking royalty. The Fire Nation was still very much in love with their ruling family. Even if he was a girl, Bolin highly doubted thy would approve of Iroh, a prince, being with an orphaned earthbender whose only claims to fame were 2nd place in a regional pro-bending tournament and friendship with the avatar.

Even forgetting what every other person in the world thought, there was still the problem of General Iroh himself. Stiff and serious, always polite but rarely friendly, Iroh wouldn’t ever return Bolin’s feelings. Forget romantic intentions, the earthbender doubted that the general even considered them to be friends.

Groaning in frustration, Bolin buried his face in his hands and quickly decided that he definitely needed help to deal with this. Lots and lots of help.

A few hours of serious contemplation later, Bolin was riding Naga over to Air Temple Island. He had sent Pabu with a note to Korra asking to borrow her polarbear dog, and mere minutes later, Naga had appeared, swimming at a leisurely pace toward the earthbender. She stopped in front of him, and Bolin had jumped on, directing Naga to go back the way she came.

The reason Bolin was headed to Air Temple Island was to ask Korra for advice. Normally, the earthbender would have asked his brother for relationship advice, but there was no telling how Mako would react to him liking a guy. Bolin had thought and thought about everyone he knew, trying to figure out who would be able to give him serious advice and accept that he had feelings for Iroh. Of everyone, Korra and Asami seemed like the two to who could be most readily understanding of his feelings. Girls were good at stuff like that. And of the two, Korra was way more boyish; it was one of the reasons she got along so well with Bolin. So, that’s who he was headed to for advice.

When he got to Air Temple Island, however, Bolin was greeted with a lot more than he had expected. Apparently, he had missed the “today is a girl’s day” memo. Because Asami, Korra, Jinora, Ikki, and even Pema were just sitting in a circle, talking and whatnot, and he was pretty sure that they’d been there for a while. More than a little daunted by seeing them all, Bolin still slowly approached their circle while praying to every past avatar in existence that he would somehow be able to get Korra alone before Ikki had him spilling his guts to them all.

Pema was the first to notice him, and she welcomed him with a warm smile. “Hello, Bolin. Is there something you need?”

“Well, yes, actually, I…” Bolin could only stutter out a few words before his courage failed him, and he was reduced to glancing at Korra and the ground. Then to Korra. Then to the ground. Then to Korra. Then to the ground.

“Seriously, what’s up Bolin?” Korra asked, getting up and punching the earthbender playfully on the arm. “I thought you wanted to borrow Naga for something.”

“About that,” Bolin commented as he twiddled his thumbs. “I wanted to borrow Naga to come here.”

“Huh?” Korra said, confusion plain on her face.

“To talk to you,” Bolin continued on as a dark blush spread across his face when he thought about why he wanted to talk to her.

“Oh Bolin,” Asami spoke up in a kind yet admonishing voice. “Korra’s with Mako now. They have been together for months.”

“Yeah, I know that,” the earthbender responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but the girl’s statement still caused him confusion. “What does that have to do with any…oh! No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I’ve been over Korra for months.”

“Then what…” Korra began to ask, but she was interrupted by Ikki who had started to sing.

“Bolin likes Korra! Bolin likes Korra! Bolin likes Korra! Bolin likes Korra! Bolin likes Korra!’

“I DO NOT LIKE KORRA!” The earthbender shouted as he started chasing after the little girl who was riding around on her most recently bended Air Sphere. A few minutes of fruitless chasing ensued until Bolin realized what he had said and turned back to Korra with an apologetic expression. “I mean, not like that. I still like you, platonically. You’re a great friend and all.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Korra replied with a smile.

“Bolin and Korra sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!’

Pema’s exasperated comment of, “Ikki, stop that!” was easily drowned out by Bolin’s roar of, “I DO NOT WANT TO TO KISS KORRA BECAUSE SHE ISN’T…”

And while a collective silence of shock fell over them, Bolin would be forever grateful for his own hand getting a mind of its own and clamping over his mouth before the name that he was about to shout slipped out. The shocked silence reigned for several moments before Pema recovered herself and stood up. Pulling Ikki into her arms, she called for Jinora to come along and said, “We’ll just be going now. Good luck Bolin.”

So, you’re having girl problems, huh?” Korra asked as the three females of the airbending family left. “You should have just said so.” Of course, that statement was followed by another friendly punch on the arm…in the exact same spot as before. Bolin had to hold back a flinch; the girl was stronger than she sometimes realized.

“Yes, we would be glad to help you,” Asami commented.

“Thanks,” the earthbender said as he sat down on the grass, followed quickly by Korra. “So, there’s this person I like, but well, I’m almost entirely positive that it would never work out.”

“Don’t talk like that!” Asami said. “Any girl would be lucky to go out with you. You’re sweet, kind, funny…”

“Not to mention a famous pro-bender!’ Korra exclaimed, jumping in out of nowhere. “At least, before pro-bending was suspended for a season. But seriously Bolin, you’re an awesome guy. I regret leading you on, but that date was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in one night.”

“Thanks you two,” Bolin replied, blushing at the compliments. “But…”

“No buts!” Korra cried. “You’re going to get that girl, and we’re going to help you! Now, tell us who she is so we can start planning!”

“Yes, Bolin,” Asami said. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

“You see, that’s the problem…” Bolin said a bit hesitantly, his courage starting to fail him as he wondered, not for the first time, if maybe he should just keep his feelings to himself for the rest of forever.

But that option was taken away from him when Korra’s confused, “Huh?” was heard simultaneously with Asami’s understanding, “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Bolin said looking down.

“That is a problem,” Asami said thoughtfully as her eyebrows squinched up in concentration.

“What’s the problem?” Korra asked, still confused and not at all understanding why her female best friend was suddenly looking at her male best friend with eyes full of pity. Wanting an answer, the avatar just stared and stared at Bolin while he twitched in nervousness and silently begged Asami to make the revelation with a somewhat panicked expression and extremely pleading eyes.

“It’s not a girl,” Asami said after several tense minutes, but Korra still looked a bit confused. “The person Bolin has fallen for is not a girl.”

“Oh,” Korra responded. “Ooooh. Wait! Huh? What? How? Why are you not surprised by this?!” And as the girl rudely jabbed a finger at Asami, Bolin was exceedingly glad the avatar’s attention had yet to return to him. He wasn’t ready for her questions yet.

“Because it makes sense,” Asami replied. “If you think about it logically. Bolin isn’t an incredibly shy person, and he’s already been rejected by you. Korra, you’re the avatar. After that, he wouldn’t be so nervous about asking out a normal girl. It just took me a while to figure it out. It is rather unexpected.”

“I see,” Korra said as she turned her attention back to Bolin. “Well, I can see why you came to us. We would know more about asking guys out than you. So, who’s the lucky dude?”

Both Asami and Bolin were taken aback by Korra’s complete lack of anything remotely resembling apprehension until they remembered that she had lived a very sheltered life. To Korra, Bolin’s interest in someone of the same sex would just be a bit odd; she wouldn’t understand how forbidden such feelings were considered. After all, such prejudice has to be learned; it’s not a natural thing. And as Asami once again took the role of educator, Bolin fought the overwhelming urge to run away, verbally hearing so much of his own distressing knowledge issuing forth from Asami’s mouth. He wanted to pretend none of this had ever happened, but he also really needed their help.

“Now that’s just stupid,” Korra exclaimed after Asami finished her explanation. “Why should what body parts they have matter if they love each other? We have soul mates! Not…not…not body mates! What’s wrong with people?! Souls don’t have gender, if they did, I couldn’t be a girl!”

Smiling in amusement at Korra’s reaction, Asami shifted closer to the earthebnder and said, “I feel the same way as Korra. Your feelings for another man do not change my perception of you, Bolin. Or if anything, it makes me see you as a much braver person. It took courage to tell us this. Thank you for trusting us.” 

“Thank you for understanding,” Bolin said as he quickly hugged both of them, so incredibly touched by their words. But, he still felt like he was in deep shit, and it was rather obvious in his expression. “But what am I going to do?!”

“That depends on whether you want to give up,” Asami said. “Or if you think that pursuing a relationship with this man is worth risking having him and possibly most of the world hate you.”

“He’s totally not worth it if he would hate Bolin for loving him!” Korra shouted, still upset over the forbidden thing. Flinching at her volume, the earthbender looked around nervously to see if anyone had heard. Sighing in relief when he saw that they were still alone, he asked Korra to calm down so as to not broadcast his feelings to the world. Her reply was a sheepish, apologetic smile.

“And he’s so totally worth it,” Bolin said with a groan as he thought about his beloved general. Iroh was fully and completely worth the risk, but it was hopeless, doomed to fail. He would never return the earthbender’s feelings. And as Bolin cursed himself for thinking about all the reasons they would never work…again, tears started falling from his eyes.

Startled by the sudden tears, both girls jumped toward their friend and pulled him into a hug. As Asami whispered comforting words, Korra said, “Don’t worry Bolin, we’ll help you. Just tell us who he is, and we’ll get you your man.”

Dread washed through Bolin when she said this, and his throat seized up. He wasn’t ready to tell them, not so soon after realizing his emotions. Honestly, he had come here hoping they could talk him into not doing anything at all, but they were so supportive, and his heart hoped for so much more than his brain knew was possible. But he’d already come this far. And most of all, it hurt so much to keep it in. Just a few hours of knowing, and the earthbender already felt like he was going to explode from everything he was feeling. So, he fought to force out the two syllables in a barely audible whisper, “Iroh.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Gee Bolin,” Asami said as gently as she could as she hugged her friend even tighter. “That’d be a hard catch even if you were a girl. Not that he isn’t lucky to have someone as sweet as you in love with him, but still… This will not be an easy task. And you wouldn’t be able to have a secret relationship with him either. You’re both too well-known, at least in Republic City you are, and it’s not like either of you are the type to abandon your duties to go off on a romantic tryst.”

“I know,” the earthbender said with a low groan. “I know.”

“Why should Bolin have to have a secret relationship anyway?!” Korra roared. Standing up, she took a fighting stance as flames lit up around her. “Screw what everyone else thinks! Bolin’s going to get the love he deserves, and Iroh better be man enough to show his love for Bolin in public!”

“That’s a nice idea Korra, really it is,” the elder girl said. “But the point of a secret relationship would be to cultivate their love away from the harsh judgment of society, and then, when they were ready, they would let it be known that they’re together. Besides, we don’t know if General Iroh will even consider having a relationship with Bolin.”

“Why wouldn’t he? Bolin’s totally worth it,” Korra declared, completely ignoring the fact that she, herself, had rejected the earthbender’s affections just months afore. “And I’m the Avatar. I’ll just tell everyone to accept it or else.” Those words were accompanied by the action of the brown-haired girl punching her fists together menacingly.

“Again, it’s a nice idea,” Asami replied placatingly. “But people didn’t change their minds on this matter for Avatar Aang, and the entire world worshipped him. I don’t think they’re going to change their minds just because you say so. And the one who will be hurt by their actions will be Bolin. So, could you please calm down?”

“Fine,” Korra huffed out in a very annoyed manner as she sat back down, casting a side-glance at Bolin who suddenly looked very relieved. Guilt coursed through Korra when she realized it was her fault; she hadn’t meant to scare her friend. “But you said yourself that a secret relationship is not possible. So, what are we going to do?”

“First, we’re going to find out whether General Iroh will consider going through a proper courtship with Bolin, because if the answer that is no,” Asami said. “The rest of what we discussed will not matter.”

“That’s true,” Korra commented, as though she was realizing this for the first time. “Say, Bolin, just how long have you had feelings for General Iroh anyway?”

“I only just realized it this morning,” Bolin said, and before the two girls could even think about launching into the predictable argumentative phrases like, “Are you sure?” and “But it’s only been a few hours,” the earthbender rushed into continuing his explanation, speaking the words without truly contemplating them first. “But I am more than sure of my own feelings. I wouldn’t have even thought of it as a possibility if I hadn’t already fallen hopelessly in love with the guy.”

He stopped speaking then, eyes widening like saucers as he realized what he had just said. How was this even possible? Falling in love with someone without even realizing it. But as he thought about the words he had spoken, he knew they were true. Just thinking of the general’s smile made Bolin’s heart skip a beat and then pick up again in double time. As he buried his face in his hands, the earthbender groaned in defeat and said, “See, this is why I came to ask you two for help before I could talk myself out of it. What am I going to do?”

“Well,” Asami said thoughtfully as her eyes looked upwards as though searching for answers in the sky. “The obvious first step would be to find out how he feels about you right now, but a traditional confession probably isn’t a good idea. It will come as somewhat of a shock to General Iroh, and since it would seem completely sudden and out of the blue, the general would probably react neagatively just on impulse. Then, Bolin would receive an answer that is neither honest nor well thought out.”

“So, we need to take a less obvious approach,” Korra commented. “And that is totally out of my range of experience.”

“Any ideas?” Bolin asked Asami. She had fallen silent rather suddenly after stating her thoughts on traditional confession. The black-haired girl was just sitting there with her hand under her chin and a serious expression on her face. Well, both her friends had fallen silent too, really hoping that she could come up with something. Because they had nothing.

“There’s always subtle flirting,” Asami said, ignoring both their looks of incredulity. “Oh, I know you can’t flirt, but we can use the basic idea behind it. Studying the actions and body language of the general in relation to his encounters with Bolin. So, how does General Iroh act when you two are alone?”

“I honestly have no clue,” Bolin answered her question with a sigh. “Before today, we really haven’t interacted with each other outside of group settings. But he did smile at me, sort of, and he touched me on the shoulder.”

“Well, that’s not bad,” Asami replied, smiling at the dreamy look that came over the earthbender. “But it’s hardly enough to go on. Initiating physical contact means he’s somewhat comfortable around you on a personal level, but the gesture is a friendly one. The smile is a bit better, but he smiles at a lot of little things: the airbender children playing, his soldiers doing something well…”

“But that’s like the easiest problem in the world to fix!” Korra exclaimed happily. Things were always so simple in her mind, and sometimes Bolin and Asami envied her for that. “If they haven’t spent much time together, Bolin’s just gotta hang out with General Iroh. He can invite the guy out somewhere as friends, and that’ll give us more material to study the general’s reaction to being around Bolin.”

“It’s not that simple. I don’t even know if he considers us friends,” Bolin started to say, but he didn’t get very far into his half-hearted protest when both girls glared at him as though daring him to try to say more.

“No arguments!” Korra commanded. “You’re going to ask him to hang out, and that’s final! In fact, you’re going to do it tonight. And I’m not letting you chicken out. General Iroh is coming over for dinner tonight, so it’s perfect.”

With that said, Korra declared the conversation officially over. Asami nodded in agreement. Bolin just sighed and fought the urge to bury himself underground.

So, the hours passed, and the three friends spent the rest of the afternoon not doing much of anything. When dinntertime rolled around, the girls actually grabbed their earthbending friend by the elbows and dragged him to the dining room where the entire airbender family and the general sat. Korra and Asami plopped Bolin down on Iroh’s left. Then, Asami sat next to Bolin and Korra next to Asami. As the girls started a conversation, purposely leaving him out, Bolin sighed and turned to Iroh.

“Hey General,” the earthbender said awkwardly.

“Hello Bolin,” Iroh replied in a slightly confused tone. “I was not aware you would be attending tonight’s dinner.”

“Neither was I,” Bolin commented, doing his best to ignore the snickers he heard coming from the girls and avoid glaring or growling at them. “But Korra invited Asami and I, so, here we are.”

“Ah,” Iroh said and looked like he was about to say more, but he was interrupted by Ikki, who asked a question that made Bolin wish he had never been born.

“Say, Korra, did you ever find out who Bolin is in love with since he said it isn’t you he wants to kiss?”

“Iiiikkiiiiii,” Korra growled threateningly as she glared at the little girl who was smiling innocently, still too young to be entirely aware how inappropriate and embarrassing such a question could be. Bolin just turned bright red and suddenly found the plain brown table to be an extraordinarily interesting thing to look at. Everyone else just exchanged awkward glances amongst themselves, trying to be kind and not stare at the earthbender.

A few minutes of silence later, the air acolytes brought food in, and Bolin’s fascination with the table turned into fascination with slowly eating his food in a pointedly methodical manner. As everyone started to eat, conversations sprouted up here and there until almost everyone was talking and their attention was no longer focused on Bolin. He remained silent for most of the rest of the meal, but gentle prodding from Asami and, surprisingly enough, Iroh had the earthbender responding by the time dinner was over.

Obviously, Bolin hadn’t really made any attempts to invite the general anywhere during dinner, not when he’d barely managed to carry a small conversation. But when Iroh excused himself, saying it was time for him to depart, Bolin experienced a painful jab in the side. He turned his head to see both Asami and Korra giving him pointed looks and making shooing gestures. They really weren’t going to let him get away with not doing anything, despite what had happened with Ikki. But he really, really didn’t feel up to it anymore.

“Look, it’s only been a day,” Bolin whispered in Asami’s ear. “Can’t this wait a little while?”

“Not when the general has already been stationed here for several months and we have no idea when he might leave,” Asami whispered back, reminding the earthbender of yet another reason why he couldn’t be with General Iroh. What kind of guy would go through Hell just for a long-distance relationship? Well, what kind of guy other than someone as desperate as Bolin? “So, no, it can’t wait, and he’ll probably accept the invitation. After how considerate he was trying to be of your feelings tonight, I’m sure he thinks of you at least as a friend.”

Asami was right. Of course, she was right. She was always right. This needed to be done sooner rather than later. So, he heaved a silent sigh, announced that he was leaving as well, and got up to follow the general outside. Bolin considered actually not trying to catch up for a moment – he still wasn’t ready – but a piece of earth suddenly pushed him forward. Glaring at the innocent earth that had to have been moved by Korra, Bolin took off at a somewhat quick pace that soon brought him in shouting distance of the man he was after.

“Hey! General Iroh!” the earthbender called as he jogged toward the general, who had heard his shout and turned around. “I’ve got something to talk to you about.”

Iroh raised a single eyebrow, as though that statement interested him, but he didn’t say anything until Bolin had caught up to him. Clearing his throat, the general asked, “What did you wish to speak to me about, Bolin?”

“I was wondering if you’d be willing to…” Bolin started to say until he realized he had no plan. Everything had been happening so fast that the earthbender hadn’t had time to properly consider what type of activity they could feasibly do together. His mind went instantly into panic mode as it frantically searched for a suggestion that wouldn’t sound incredibly stupid. “…train with me.”

The shocked look that appeared on Iroh’s face made it quite clear that wasn’t what he had been expecting to hear.

“It could just be every once in a while,” Bolin said quickly as the start of a very long, very nervous monologue. “And I know that you’re a firebender and that I’m an earthbender, so it’s not exactly cohesive. And that you’re a big, important general who’s always busy with important stuff. And that I could always train with Mako and Korra. But that’s always been for pro-bending. You have tons more experience with actual fights and battles and stuff. And I want to be ready for when Amon comes back…or if anything else happens. And I’m sure your men are awesome benders with tons of battle experience, but I already know you. I’d be a lot more comfortable sparring with you…”

He trailed off then, finally realizing how much he’d been babbling. Turning red for the second time that night, Bolin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as Iroh remained silent. As the seconds seemed to stretch into eternity and the general still didn’t respond, Bolin sighed and said, “I mean, I understand if you don’t want to…”

“Slow down Bolin,” Iroh spoke slowly in that always formal tone of his. “I was merely deducing whether I would be able to make time to fulfill your request, but you weren’t giving me enough time to think. And you don’t need to be so nervous around me. Despite our difference is social status, I do consider you an important friend.”

“Oh, well, ok,” the earthbender said with a bright smile. This was progress! Bolin’s heart sped up again as his mind processed the knowledge that the general felt closer to him than he originally thought. Iroh didn’t just think of him as a mere acquaintance; he thought of Bolin as a friend, an important friend. Of course, the earthbender wanted to be more than that, but at this moment in time, he was more than willing to take what he could get.

“As you know, I am rather busy,” Iroh stated, bringing Bolin’s attention back to reality. “But I do make time for training every day. If you wanted to join me during those times, I would be happy to alter my routine slightly to include you.”

“That would be great,” Bolin replied, reigning in the part of him that wanted to squeal in excitement like a thirteen-year-old girl who had just received her first kiss. “So just tell me when and where you normally train, and I’ll be there.”

“I start with a morning run around the city,” Iroh told him. “Meet me by the docks at dawn.”

“See you then,” the earthbender responded with a playful salute and a smile as he internally mourned the loss of sleep. But it would be worth it to spend time with General Iroh. The older man didn’t laugh at his antics, but he did smile and return the salute before waving good-bye. Bolin waved back and watched the general walk away until he was out of sight.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” a voice asked from behind him. Anxiety shot through Bolin’s body as he spun around so fast he almost lost his balance, and there stood Pema with a gentle understanding smile on her face. “General Iroh is the one you’re in love with.”

“How did you know?” the earthbender asked, praying to the spirits that he hadn’t been so obvious that Iroh had noticed as well. He didn’t bother trying to deny the truth of her words either; it would have been useless anyway. Pema’s last words had been a statement, not a question.

“Korra and Asami weren’t very subtle in their eagerness to get you to go after General Iroh, I’m afraid,” the mother of four answered in a gentle tone. “And I figured you and Asami weren’t whispering good-byes in each other’s ears. But don’t worry too much about it. I don’t think anyone else noticed.”

“Oh,” Bolin said awkwardly, still a bit nervous. “Well, thanks, I guess. Was there something you needed me for?”

“Not much actually,” Pema replied. “Korra just wanted to make sure you knew it’s okay to borrow Naga to get home, and I volunteered to pass on the message.”

“Oh yeah!” Bolin said, clapping a fist into his open palm. “I completely forgot about asking if I could borrow her again. Thanks a million Pema.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. “And Bolin, you have a long, uphill battle ahead of you. But love is a beautiful thing, and I promise you that it is worth every second of heartache you experience on your journey to achieve it. Like I said earlier, good luck.”

“Thanks Pema, I really mean it,” the teen said with a grateful smile. Then, they were hugging good-bye, and he went running off to find Naga so he could get home.

When Bolin got home that night, he took extra precautions to make sure he would be up before dawn. He set three alarm clocks. He had Mako promise to make sure he was awake before heading out to his part-time job at the electricity plant, a place that needed lightning benders more than ever when so many still hadn’t gotten their bending back from Korra. So, when he went to sleep that night, Bolin was confident he would be up, if not entirely awake, for his appointment with General Iroh at dawn.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Bolin awoke to the sound of a gun-shot going off in his room, accompanied by the sound of bombs or some other as of yet to be determined wide-scale destructive weapon. As adrenaline shot through his lethargic body, trying to urge it into action, the earthbender could feel someone, probably Mako, shaking his shoulder. Slowly, his mind woke up enough to actually process the information provided by the sounds, and he realized what he had thought was a gun shot must have been the door slamming open; everything else was the alarm clocks. But why would he be waking up so early? The sun wasn't even up yet…the sun. Oh yeah! He had an appointment to meet Iroh at dawn, didn’t he?

Abruptly, his sleep-muddled thoughts ground to a halt, and his body sprung into action – the knowledge that Iroh was waiting for him far more effective than any alarm clock ever could be. He didn’t even glance at Mako as he threw a thank you in his brother’s general direction and rushed to get ready. Minutes later, he was dashing out the door wearing work out clothes and carrying a water bottle. From the hallway, Mako called out a farewell in what seemed to be a fairly confused tone, and that reminded Bolin that he’d never actually told his brother why he’d gotten up so early. Well, he’d just have to explain later.

Unfortunately, the young earthbender already knew he was going to be at least a few minutes late. Though his apartment wasn’t too far from the docks, the sun was already rising, and Bolin was smart enough to not tire himself out by racing to get there on time. Hopefully, Iroh would wait for him, and if he knew the general as well as he thought he did, the brown-haired teen was fairly certain that the general would wait for those few extra minutes.

Fortunately for Bolin, his efforts to awaken so early in the morning were not in vain, and as he approached the docks, he could see Iroh standing there waiting for him. Smiling apologetically once they made eye contact, the young earthbender said, “Sorry General. I’m not used to getting up so early. I really did try to make it on time.”

“That much is apparent,” Iroh replied not unkindly. “Evidenced by the fact that you are only a few minutes late. Come, let’s get going.” And with another friendly pat on Bolin’s shoulder, the general took off at a steady pace on a path leading into the more repaired parts of the city.

Sometime later, the two returned to the docks, and Bolin followed Iroh onto one of the United Forces’s battleships. It was there that he had his first opportunity to see where and how the soldiers trained their bodies into well-oiled fighting machines. It was also one of the first opportunities for the soldiers to basically gape at the young earthbender’s presence. There were about a dozen soldiers already there in the training room, and every single one of their faces were covered in pure shock when they noticed Bolin. It made him wonder whether it was really that odd for the general to have a workout buddy. Apparently so, if the soldiers’ faces were anything to go by.

But Iroh just ignored the stares of shock and motioned for Bolin to follow him. From there, the two benders worked their way through a routine of proper warm-ups and normal strengthening exercises. When that was done, the general led Bolin to a large floor mat that was obviously used for sparring practice and bid the teenager to sit down for a short conversation and quick rest.

“Do not misunderstand my reasons for asking this question,” Iroh said as he joined Bolin in sitting on the mat. “But am I correct in my assumption that you rely primarily on your bending in any fight, regardless of whether it is just a match or a true battle?”

“Yes,” the earthbender replied with a frown. From any other person, Bolin was sure he would have heard judgment in those words. But this was the general, so he had to be asking for a specific reason. Still, it didn’t make him feel any less incompetent.

“There is nothing wrong with bending being one’s primary weapon,” the general commented reassuringly. “If used properly, it can be very powerful. However, if it is one’s only weapon in a real fight, it can be very limiting, especially in fights against chi blockers or when one does not have access to their element.”

“And I don’t have any formal training in anything except for a bit of metalbending,” Bolin said answering the question before it was asked. “Not even for pro-bending. Everything Mako and I know beyond the basics of bending has been self-taught.”

“That is impressive,” Iroh replied. “Given how well you can earthbend, it is a testament to how hard you work. Anyway, you asked to train with me because you thought my experience would prove beneficial. So, for as long as I am here in Republic City, I will be teaching you the basics of the Fire Nation’s oldest form of martial arts. It has been a great weapon for me in several battles, and very few people in this world have trained in it. There is no set style that works as a good counter for it. Now, let’s get started.”

One hour, several new bruises, and many newly discovered, screaming muscles later, they were done with their first workout / training session, and as Iroh led him to the showers, Bolin tried to sear everything he’d just learned into his brain. After their conversation and a brief lesson on the martial art, the young earthbender would be learning, the general had ordered Bolin to spar with him, which had been far from fun for Bolin but had, apparently, told Iroh what he needed to know. The rest of the session had been the teaching of basic forms and repetition exercises that Bolin could work on by himself. It was these that he was struggling to remember perfectly.

However, fate was not so kind, and half of what Bolin had just learned soon flew out the window. When they reached the locker room, the teen saw exactly what he had been subconsciously dreading most: communal showers. Turning away so Iroh wouldn’t be able to see his blush, Bolin spent the entire time in both the locker room and shower making a valiant attempt to not peek or stare at the naked general’s body. He didn’t entirely succeed, but from all his glances, Bolin still only knew what the upper half of the general’s glorious body looked like. The brown-haired teen was just a tiny bit proud of himself for maintaining at least that much self-control. The rest was a bit of self-loathing. How could he have such little control over feelings he’d only known about for a day?

After they were both dressed once more, Iroh led Bolin to the mess hall so they could partake in a light breakfast together before going their separate ways. As soon as they entered, Bolin felt the stares on him again. Every single last pair of eyes was glued to him, like he’d grown a second head…or was the second head General Iroh had grown. Doing his best to ignore them, the teen grabbed a tray, piled food on it, and followed the general to an empty table. There, they ate their meal in half-comfortable, half-awkward silence. And during the entirety of their meal, Bolin had to constantly remind himself that he was not on a date and that he and Iroh were the center of attention of dozens of soldiers on one of the United Forces’s ships.

When they left the mess and the ships and the docks, the stares finally ceased. The young earthbender, who had been painfully aware of every single one of them, was unable to stop the enormous sigh of relief from escaping his lips. Doing his best not to read into the small chuckle from Iroh his sigh had spawned, Bolin said, “That was so extremely awkward. Why were they staring so much?”

“They are not accustomed to seeing me workout with anyone unless I am teaching several soldiers, let alone with someone not from the crew,” the general answered. “No one else on this ship knows the martial art I will be teaching you, so I usually must train alone in the mornings since that is the time I practice that particular martial art. Do not worry, they will get used to it in time.” With that said, Iroh gave him a soft smile and pat on the head before heading off. Bolin went in the opposite direction, going towards the next broken down part of the city where all able-bodied metal and earthbenders were helping rebuild.

In the weeks that followed, the words that Iroh had spoken became the truth. The more that time had passed, the more days in a row the United Forces soldiers saw him with the general, the more routine it became, and the less odd it was for the general’s men to see him with a workout companion. After about a month and a half had passed since the workouts began, almost all the stares had disappeared, and Bolin was getting more comfortable around the soldiers, even though he had yet to talk much to any of them. There was only one really odd or awkward moment that happened daily anymore.

It never failed that every morning after they returned to the docks, having completed their morning jog, that at least one person, usually more, would stop what they were doing and stare in confusion or surprise. There was no reason or explanation for it. But it always happened at that time and that place. And he couldn’t narrow it down to a particular group of soldiers either. Those who barely paid him a passing glance in the workout room or commons would gape outside after the morning run. Finally, Bolin couldn’t take it anymore and asked the general if he knew why they were all staring. What was so odd about a morning run?

“You are neither the target of their stares nor the reason for their confusion,” Iroh answered him with an odd sort of smile. “It is my own actions that perplex them.”

“What do you mean?” Bolin asked. “We just run through the city.”

“Indeed, that is true,” the general commented. “However, before I started to run with you, I took a different route on my morning jogs. I assume most of the soldiers are confused because I still take that route on my afternoon jog, and they know why.”

“Why?” the earthbender asked again. Because, he felt like he had to ask. What was it about his previous jogging route that would cause him to change it for Bolin? Or had the general changed it because of Bolin?

“The path I took before led through the parts of the city destroyed by the battle with Amon and the Equalists that are not yet rebuilt,” Iroh answered in a grave tone. “It was and is a sort of tribute to the lives and homes lost in the battle. So, their spirits know their sacrifice and tragedies are remembered, not forgotten. I changed the route to the one I run with you because the sights can be quite gruesome.”

Silence fell after that as Bolin considered the seriousness of what had just been spoken. During their time in the workout room, the only words exchanged between the two males were instructions issued by the general as he taught Bolin new forms of the Fire Nation’s ancient martial art. They still did not speak in the locker room or at breakfast. Nothing was said until they were about to part ways.

“Don’t do that anymore,” the earthbender said suddenly. “Tomorrow, we’ll run the route you usually take.”

“Very well,” Iroh replied. His tone was steady and gave away nothing, but his expression was odd, as though he was feeling an odd mix of surprise, bemusement, and being impressed.

The next day after they had come back from their morning jog, Bolin noticed there were significantly fewer stares of shock and confusion. Eventually, they all but disappeared, and the United Forces soldiers under Iroh’s command came to accept the young earthbener as a new fixture in their lives.

~

“Oh, Bolin, that was perfect!” Asami exclaimed later that day after her friend finished telling her about the discussion he and Iroh had had about their morning jogs. Ever since the day he had gone asking Asami and Korra for help, Bolin had been giving the two girls daily progress reports. However, this was the first time a certain black-haired girl had gotten excited enough to squeal like Iki. It was out of character for her and, honestly, kind of creepy. Bolin liked the calm Asami.

“What’s ‘perfect’ about this?” the earthbender asked confused. “I just told him I’d go with him. Honoring spirits is always right, and I wanted to join him in that endeavor.”

“That’s what’s so perfect,” Asami answered. “That you respect his actions so much as to want to join him and have no ulterior motive. Two of the most important foundations in any relationship are trust and respect. Trust you gained a long time ago during the battle against Amon and the Equalists, and it’s been slowly building ever since. The same goes for respect. But your recent actions have shown that you deeply respect and trust General Iroh as well.”

“When you put it like that it sounds great,” Bolin replied with an air of disbelief. “But how does that help in the trying to find out if he would ever consider going out with me? I mean, trust and respect are just as important in friendship, which is all he really seems to feel for me.”

“That’s true,” Korra chimed in with a disappointed sight. “My plan to get them to spend more time together isn’t working out so well. I mean, even with me and Mako, it was obvious at certain times that he did harbor feeling for me that went beyond friendship. There doesn’t seem to be anything more from Iroh.”

“Oh, this is hopeless!” the young earthbender groaned as he buried his face in his hands. It wasn’t a lie that he was incredibly happy that the general considered him a friend, but he was tired of hoping for more. In that single moment, every negative feeling he had been experiencing for the last month and a half seemed to just combine in a giant crashing wave and threatened to consume him.

“It’s not like that at all,” Asami said, quickly noticing the change in Bolin’s demeanor as she reached over to rub his back in soothing circles. “Iroh is very different from Mako. Not nearly as expressive. By spending time with him and just being yourself, you’re increasing his awareness of you. That’s a step in the right direction. Now, we just need to see how he reacts toward you in a more relaxed, intimate setting, like a social atmosphere instead of an educational one. Then, we can decide how to proceed with revealing your feelings to him.”

“Don’t do this to me, Asami,” Bolin begged with a voice that was soft, defeated. “I’ve showered with him. It doesn’t get much more intimate than that.”

“Communal showers aren’t intimate,” Korra commented in a tone that Bolin knew meant she was holding back a snort. She was trying to sound encouraging and serious but failing miserably. Still, the brown-haired young man appreciated the effort. “You should also know that the general is coming over to eat dinner again tonight. Do you want to stay for Asami’s experiment or should we take you back to the city?”

“I’ll stay,” Bolin answered, still with the same defeated tone. “Might as well since I’m already here, and we’ve already taken things this far. I just need to mentally prepare myself. And start getting used to the fact that all we’ll ever be is friends, if that lasts after he finds out about my feelings.”


	4. Chapter 4

Less than an hour after the daily progress report, Bolin found himself sitting at the dining table squished between Asami and a very stretched out Korra. She was taking up two spaces, plus a bit of Bolin’s as she claimed she needed to stretch out after sitting down for too long. The earthbender knew she was acting like that because Iroh hadn’t yet arrived and wanted to make sure there would be an open space next to Bolin once he did. Although no one seemed surprised by Korra’s actions, Tenzin did let out a sigh every time he glanced at the young avatar.

“Why are you two doing this to me?” Bolin groaned quietly as he burrowed his head in Asami’s shoulder, because, oh god the stares! He knew most of them were silent judgment sent toward Korra, but two very unnerving stares were trained on him. Ever since his slip of the tongue, Iki had taken to staring at him curiously every time she saw him, as though if by concentrating hard enough, she’d be able to magically pull out a name from his mind. And Pema was just staring at him knowingly, like she knew exactly what was going on. Knew exactly why Korra was behaving so outrageously. And crap in a hat, she probably did know.

“We’re just trying to help,” Asami whispered gently back to him, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. “Truly, we are. We just want you to be happy, Bolin.”

“I know,” the earthbender said quietly. “I know.” Dinner began very soon after that, but the general still had yet to arrive. And Bolin didn’t know whether he should be disappointed or relieved; it was probably a little bit of both. For ten minutes, dinner was a fairly peaceful affair – Iki had been hungry and far too busy stuffing her face to cause trouble – but, like always, it didn’t take long for something to happen that made Bolin want to run away and hid from the world for a while.

“My deepest apologies for my tardiness,” General Iroh said as he came striding in, managing to sound the slightest bit out of breath and entirely formal at the same time. For some reason, he was wearing his dress uniform, but Bolin didn’t mind too much. It did things for Iroh’s body, things that had Bolin fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. Korra noticed this and giggled, but a glare, tiny fist pump, and subsequent punch in the head from the earth below shut her up.

“Bolin, you suck!” Korra shouted and then smirked as she threw herself at him out of nowhere. Seconds later, Bolin found himself in the middle of a very uncomfortable hug sandwich. Unable to move with how tight the avatar was squeezing him, the earthbender had to settle for glaring at her heatedly until Tenzin cleared his throat meaningfully. Because, yeah, this was exactly what he wanted to be seen doing in front of his crush, being manhandled by a girl…who was supposed to be in a relationship with his brother. Stupid Korra and her stupid, embarrassing punishment. It felt like an eternity, but the girl finally climbed off of him. As soon as he was free, Bolin scrambled off Asami’s lap, glaring at Korra all the while, Asami’s quiet giggle following in his wake.

Telling himself that it was (probably) a bad idea to punch Korra via earthbending again, Bolin chanced a glance at Iroh. It was an odd sensation, feeling like he was melting and getting really excited at the same time. There as a small yet genuinely amused smile on the general’s face, and that warmed Bolin’s heart and body far more than the dress uniform ever could. As his cheeks warmed, the earthbender ducked his head, really hoping Iroh didn’t noticed the blush.

“As I was saying,” the general spoke once he seemed sure they were done. “I did do my utmost to arrive in a timely manner, but my lunch companion was rather disinclined to allow my departure from her company.”

“Lunch companion?” Asami asked, sounding mildly curious, but Bolin knew she was fishing for information for him. Not that it really mattered. A horrible, gut-wrenching feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as all that earlier warmth chilled to crushing disappointment. Of course, the general already had a girlfriend.

“Yes, my fifth date is as many days,” Iroh replied, heading toward the empty seat next to Bolin. And spirits be damned, Bolin definitely didn’t want to hear anymore. If they were together that often, the general must be really serious about this girl. So, now, the earthbender just wanted to escape and be alone to wallow in his misery.

“Usually, I don’t mind too much,” Iroh continued on like nothing was wrong, like Bolin’s heart wasn’t breaking into a million little pieces, like the entire world wasn’t crashing down around him. “But they’re starting to get troublesome. The girls are getting desperate since I’ll be departing from Republic City soon. And it seems as thought the number of obligatory dates increase directly proportional to how much more work I must complete for our next voyage.”

Girls…girls?! How many girlfriends did Iroh have? Bolin really didn’t stand a chance now. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have now been shown some pretty damning evidence that the general is entirely heterosexual.

“How could you?!” Korra’s angry voice stunned everyone into silence once more as she jumped and dragged the general off to who knows where. Bolin could do nothing but stare in horror as it happened, couldn’t even make his legs move to maybe follow them and stop the avatar from spilling all his secrets in some oddly compassionate, entirely screwed up attempt to protect Bolin’s feelings. Pema and Asami just stared at the young earthbender with sympathy and pity in their eyes.

“Does Korra have a crush on the general?” Ikki asked out of the blue, no longer as interested in her food as she had been about thirty seconds prior. “Is she jealous of all the different girls Iroh’s been going out with?”

“No,” Ikki,” Pema said in that maddeningly calm voice of hers that magically demanded everyone to stop staring after Korra and resume eating. The silent command was obeyed instantly. “That is not the reason Korra is upset. She is quite happy with Mako.”

“Then, why?” Ikki started to say.

“It’s not any of our business,” Pema declared with a tone of finality. There was to be no more said on the subject. Although, Ikki’s annoyed huffs of protest could be heard throughout the rest of the meal.

Desperate for any reason not to think about what Korra might be saying to the general, Bolin drew Asami into an entirely overenthusiastic conversation about the current status of her company. The black-haired girl, bless her heart and brains, began droning on about some new invention or process or something. He had almost no idea what she was talking about, but trying to keep up took all his focus. Right then, it was exactly what he needed.

And although it had felt like an eternity to Bolin, it really wasn’t very long before Korra and Iroh returned to the dining room. The general’s expression was confused and contemplative, but he took the empty seat right next to Bolin without a moment’s hesitation. Korra sat down on the general’s other side and began gorging herself on food like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Both of their actions made him think (hope) that the avatar hadn’t blurted out his feelings. Still, he had to make sure. Although, it really isn’t surprising that he was unable to drum up the courage until to do so everyone else had left the dining area, leaving Bolin, Korra, Asami, and Iroh alone. Knowing about the United Forces’s looming departure as well as anyone, Tenzin had ended dinner earlier than usual to give the four friends a bit of time to relax.

“Hey, General,” the earthbender said quietly as he poked Iroh gently in the side. “What was Korra talking to you about? You know, when she dragged you off earlier…”

“She was telling me I should be more considerate of the feelings of my dates, among other things,” Iroh replied, tone becoming slightly mystified and eyes widening in a bit in remembrance. 

“Before you said the dates are obligatory,” Bolin commented with a somewhat clearer head but still desperately hoping that maybe Iroh didn’t have a bunch of girlfriends. “What did you mean by that?”

“As a prince, I am bound by custom and honor to meet with any and all noble young ladies who wish to pursue a courtship with me,” the general answered. “Unless I have already met them or am currently engaged in an already mutual courtship.”

“Ah,” Bolin tried to keep his tone light, but he could feel that deep well on anguish beginning to fill up again. “But I thought that Avatar Aang and his friend repealed almost every law against specific types of romantic relationships, including the ones about forbidding royalty to wed with lower classes.”

“I am free to choose whomever I please, noble blood or no,” Iroh told him. “But I am still required to attend at least one meeting with every noble young lady who desires it.”

“Oh,” Bolin’s heart was swelling with hope once more. He still had a chance…kind of…maybe…if Iroh was willing to ignore all the reasons this was a terrible idea. Damn it! He really didn’t want to be thinking about this. Yeah, he should just be grateful Korra hadn’t spilled the beans about his feelings. Right, moving on…he had a conversation to finish. “So, what was Korra saying about their feelings?”

“It is possibly better described as crazed lecture or organized rant,” Iroh said and oh shit, Bolin’s heart was ready to burst. Formal tone and dry humor aside, the general had made a joke! “But she said they were probably desperate to see me and were just doing their best to spend as much time with me as possible. I should ‘be more considerate of such desperate emotion and not complain about it as troublesome’. Isn’t that right Korra?”

Said girl paused in her conversation with Asami for only a moment to stick her tongue out at the general before she turned back and continued planning her next date with Mako. Well, date might be stretching it. Asami and Korra were actually teaming up to play a prank on his brother as they were often wont to do when Mako said or did something incredibly stupid. He wondered what Mako had done to earn their wrath this time.

“That’s an awfully one-sided argument though,” Bolin commented. “Shouldn’t consideration go both ways in a relationship?”

“Hmm,” Iroh replied with only that noncommittal noise and raised eyebrow. 

“Well, ‘cause, being a gentleman is one thing,” Bolin continued. “But a relationship can’t be entirely one-sided. Girls should be expected to be considerate toward their partners as well.”

As he spoke, Asami and Korra fell into silence, quietly setting aside their revenge conversation and turned the whole of their attentions toward the earthbender. Both girls recognized the beginning signs of a Bolin-Rant. And they weren’t always rants, per say, but they were often about things he felt strongly about (recently, they’d been about Iroh more often than not).

“Let’s just take today for example. All these girls know you’re leaving soon, know they have a deadline. This means you also have a deadline, and that means being busier. You have to meet them, but I’m sure you’re not obligated to spend hours and hours with them. Still, you give them a chance and get to know them a bit even though you’re super busy and on a schedule. I already know you gave up your afternoon work out for this girl. That’s considerate, especially since keeping in shape is an important part of your job.”

“In turn, she should have respected the fact that you had another prior-arranged appointment, a schedule to keep. Instead, she is the reason you were late. More than that, you were consider of her feelings to want to spend more time with you, and she should have been more considerate of your desire to leave.”

“And yeah, we can’t really control our feelings, and there will always be situations where sometimes pushing is the better option. But being considerate toward others, it should totally be a mutual thing, especially when in or pursuing a relationship.”

“Unfortunately, the vast majority of females would not agree with that concept,” Iro said, sounding vaguely amused. “At least, in my experience, men are always expected to put their own desires second when pursuing a lady. You’ll have to tell me how that mutual consideration works out for you.”

“It worked out fine,” Bolin replied without thinking.

“How do you mean?” the general asked, sounding honestly curious. Well, crap. Hmm…how big a hole should he create in the ground for himself to crawl in to? Or maybe he should make the ground swallow him whole. He was a earthbender. He could totally do it.

Heart thudding almost painfully in his chest, Bolin cast a hopeless glance toward Korra and Asami. Dear Spirits, he did not want to be the one to tell Iroh about the epic failure of a love story that was his former crush on Korra. How on earth do you explain that giving up on your feelings for a girl was the best thing you ever did? And how do you explain that without sounding either utterly pathetic or entirely douche-y?

“Fun story,” Asami started in, Spirits bless that girl’s soul. He was so beyond grateful to have her on his side. “Bolin had this major crush on Korra, who of course like Mako, who was dating me at the time. Just as Bolin is about to officially ask Korra to be his girlfriend, he sees her kiss Mako. Que the predictable heartbreak and fights and arguments and confusion. But the really amazing thing is that even though Mako and I were still together, Bolin gave up on Korra, because he knew he couldn’t be the one to make her happy. Korra kind of gave up on Mako, tried to help two testosterone-fueled idiots make up, and sat down to have serious discussion about feelings with Bolin even though she really didn’t want to. Because of that, Bolin was able to save the relationship he has with his brother and continue being friends with Korra. Granted, that’s an oversimplified explanation, and Mako and Korra ended up together anyway. But we managed to work it out all the same.”

“Yeah, except you and Bolin were way better at the consideration thing than Mako and I were,” Korra cut in with a laugh. “You were angry, for what, a day after you found out about…well, everthing? You’re also not the one who kissed another girl’s boyfriend or went out with a dude to make the brother who rejected you jealous.”

Asami laughed at those words and replied. “Very true. Very true. I also didn’t run away crying with snot running down my face.”

“Oh my god,” Bolin groaned, cheeks turning pink with embarrassment before he buried his head in his hands. How had a serious discussion about consideration for feelings so quickly devolved into seemingly mutual teasing that really wasn’t embarrassing for anyone but him? Bolin was seriously regretting giving that girl so many details about his rejection. Then again, Korra had been more than happy to provide Asami with those details herself…on more than one occasion. “Can we please all just agree that everything turned out for the best and stop talking about this?”

This caused chuckles and giggle to burst out from the other three, but they did turn the conversation elsewhere. They passed the rest of their time together by exchanging more dating disaster stories; Iroh had a lot of them, and Bolin felt both relieved and dismayed by that fact. Then all too soon, he found himself bidding farewell to the general, whose time to return to his ship had come.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Bolin,” Iroh said with a final wave as he turned to leave, the words making the young earthbender feel like there was a sort of hidden promise or message there. But he couldn’t figure out what.

“Tomorrow,” was Bolin’s short reply, unsure how to respond to the message he didn’t even understand. He watched and waited until the general’s figure disappeared into the darkness before turning to ask the girls, “So, do you think I still have a chance?”


	5. Chapter 5

“Well,” Asami said thoughtfully, staring after where Iroh had left. “For most of the night, he seemed to treat you like just a friend…no more romantic potential than what you get between me and Korra. But that very last thing he said…” The girl trailed off into silence, not quite sure how to put her feelings into words.

“It felt like there was something more, right?” Bolin commented hopefully, looking back to where the general had disappeared. “It seemed like he meant something more than he’ll see me tomorrow. I mean, he’s said that a lot cuz of the training, but never quite like that. I mean, it wasn’t just my imagination or wishful thinking, right?”

“No, Bolin,” Asami replied with a warm, indulgent smile. “It was most definitely not your imagination.” She paused for a bit; the hesitancy that showed in her expression was an indicator that she was trying to think of how to phrase her next thoughts without hurting the earthbender’s feelings. “But I don’t know…I’m not sure what the extra meaning…whatever it was, is indicative of whether you have a chance of romance. However, I am one hundred percent certain that he would never reject your friendship just because of your feelings for him. It’s obvious that he cares about you too much for that, and he’s never struck me as a douchebag.”

“I think he has a chance,” Korra said decidedly, with an assured confidence that shocked her two friends. Well, it’s no big surprise, since her tone was so certain that even the most stubborn of naysayers would have been unable to find even a smidgen of room for doubt in it. “You guys know how I dragged Iroh off for a few minutes earlier. Well, during our conversation, he said something that makes me think Bolin’s got a chance. Wasn’t anything big or specific, mind you. But the general seems to be the type that prefers to get with someone he already knows well and gets along with.”

“Well, yes,” Asami agreed, smile warm and indulgent once more. “That does greatly increase Bolin’s chances. Iroh would never date a soldier under his command, and we are among the very few close friends he has that are close to his own age. So, in that sense, there’s not really any quote-em-quote competition here in Republic City, but we don’t really know too much about his life in the Fire Nation. And unfortunately, I have been unable to subtly inquire about his feelings on same sex relationships…a task we all agreed was best left to me as you two are about as subtle as a tsunami.”

“Yeah,” Bolin huffed out. “I haven’t even thought about trying to bring that shit up.”

“And if I brought it up,” Korra declared with a nervous chuckle. “There’s no way I would be able to avoid mentioning Bolin’s feelings. With my lack of filter, it’d be bound to slip out its own.”

“Yes, Korra,” Asami commented with a chuckle of her own. “We’ve seen that aspect of your social prowess several times.”

“Yeah,” Bolin chimed in. “Seen it in all its jaw-dropping glory. Anyway, it’s getting late, and I’ve got an appointment to keep. See you guys later.”

“Bye Bolin!” Asami waved.

“Bye!” Korra smirked as she punched Bolin in the arm. “And don’t tell your idiot of a brother what we’ve got planned for him.”

“I never do,” the earthbender replied with a smile. “I will never understand how he always gets himself in hot water with you two so often.”

“It’s a different way every time,” Korra said.

“He’s just creative that way, I guess,” Asami joked, and the three parted ways with the laughter echoing around them.

When Bolin arrived home that night, he could tell something was different…off somehow, but he couldn’t figure it out right away, because all was quiet. The lights were out, nothing had been disturbed. Hell, even the dishes he’d left in the skink after lunch hadn’t been touched, and Mako had a thing about dirty dishes. It wasn’t until he reached his room that he understood, because there sat Mako on his bed – the only light illuminating the room was a small ball of fire in his hand.

“Mako,” Bolin said hesitantly, slowly as he reached for the nearby lamp and turned it on. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing much,” Mako replied with a shrug. “Just haven’t seen you a whole lot lately. Not sure where you’ve been. Dunno whether or not you know I’ve quit the power plant and joined the police…just wondering why you see my girlfriend more than I do.”

“Ugh, seriously?” Bolin groaned, rolling his eyes and plopping down next to his brother on the bed. “We’ve both been busy with new jobs, and yes I am aware of your change in occupation. And our schedules don’t mesh well. It’s no surprise we keep missing each other. And I thought we settled the Korra issue when you were still dating Asami. You know, when we promised to never let a girl come between us again. Besides, I’m in love with someone else. You literally have less than nothing to worry about with me and Korra.”

“Seriously, bro?” That’s awesome!” Mako said smiling, mood turning around instantly. “Who’s the girl? Why the hell haven’t you said anything before now? I could have helped you ‘woo your lady’. (Yes, that was complete with sarcastic finger quotes.) We both know that I’m better at chicks than you.”

“No offense, bro,” Bolin drawled out. “But with how often you dive head first into boiling hot water with Korra, I think I’ll take my chances. Korra and Asami give pretty good advice.”

“You doubt my skills?!’ Mako demanded, honestly sounding shocked.

“To some extent, yes,” Bolin remarked, which prompted Mako to leap at him and led to an impromptu wrestling match. For several minutes, the two brothers tusseled back and forth, each periodically gaining the upper hand, until the younger happened to glance at the clock and slumped down instantaneously in defeat.

“Haha! I won!” Mako exclaimed in triumphant glee. “Now you have to tell me about the girl you like!”

“That was never a part of the rules,” Bolin argued. He may have conceded defeat in the wrestling match so he could get up on time the following morning, but he still wasn’t ready to divulge the “big gay love for Iroh” information to Mako yet. The earthbender wasn’t sure why he wasn’t read; he just knew he wasn’t.

“Of course it was part of the rules,” Mako asserted. “It was implied because that’s why we were wrestling. Now, it’s time to ‘fess up.”

“I thought we were wrestling because you suck at anything to do with girls,” Bolin grumbled as he looked away and sighed. Because no matter what his brother thought, it really wasn’t time to “fess up”. Not when he really, truly was not ready. Bolin wondered if his brother would be so insistent if he knew how uncomfortable this topic was making Bolin…probably not. After all, Mako might be a little bit of an asshole, but he wasn’t deliberately cruel. And Bolin, in an effort to keep his own overwhelming internal struggle under control, had been acting pretty casual about the whole thing.

Visibly sighing once more, Bolin considered his options, and Mako, sensing a sort of resignation on his brother’s part, got off Bolin and settled into a casual slouch against the nearest wall. Sitting up, the earthbender took a hard look at his own feelings and decided that even if he definitely wasn’t going to tell Mako everything, there was at least one thing he was ready to reveal. And really, it was better to get it out the way sooner rather than later. He trusted Mako, but then, this was the kind of thing where you never knew how someone would react until they did.

At least, unlike a lot of people, he knew there was a safe place to go if Mako rejected him. He had no doubt that Asami and Korra would fall over themselves to offer him a new home if Mako decided he couldn’t live with Bolin anymore. He was also mostly sure they would, for lack of a better phrase, “take his side” if Mako rejected him over this. They would consider it the height of betrayal to disown a brother simply because he fell in love. Again, he really didn’t think it was something he really needed to be worried about, but he was nervous. He’d been nervous when he told the two girls, nervous when Pema found out, and just the thought of Iroh ever figuring it out caused pants-shitting terror (not literally, thank the spirits).

“Hey Mako,” Bolin said, sitting up as he pulled himself out of his own musings. “I’m okay with telling you the why but not the who.”

“That’s weird,” Mako commented slowly, finally starting to understand that this topic might actually be way more serious than he originally thought.

“It’ll make sense when I actually tell you,” Bolin replied with a shrug.

“Okay then,” Mako said in a playful tone, obviously trying to bring back their former mood…perhaps in an attempt to make Bolin less tense and more comfortable. “Out with it little bro.”

“The person I’m in love with…” Bolin paused. He should be okay with this by now, he chided himself impatiently as he rubbed his hands over his face. He should be used to this by now. So many people knew: Asami, Korra, Pema…okay, maybe not that many. It was just thanks to Ikki that everyone in the air temple knew it definitely wasn’t Korra he loved, which was kind of a weird feeling. It felt so safe and welcoming at the air temple thanks to the three aforementioned women that he almost forgot only three people knew his secret. Still…spirits be damned, this was nerve-wracking. “It’s…he’s…guy…”

Oh great! Now, he was a stuttering mess. Taking a deep breath, Bolin calmed himself down as much as he could and managed a clear declaration of, “I’m in love with a man.”

Mako sat there dumbfounded, no trace of humor left in his expression. His eyes wide and mouth agape for so long that Bolin was starting to get sorely tempted to shut I for him. Silence reigned for several minutes before Mako finally said, “God, Bolin, you always gotta pick the hard route when it comes to love, don’t you? First an avatar who was in love with me and then someone who’s probably perfectly nice but might want to shoot you just for falling in love.”

Bolin just shrugged helplessly. Although, he was completely sure Iroh wouldn’t want to kill him just for that. Unlike Asami, he wasn’t sure whether the general would be okay with a continuing friendship, but Bolin feared only emotional harm if…(more likely when)…Iroh found out about his feelings.

“Well, I get why Korra and Asami would be more helpful,” the firebender mused. “How do you even woo another dude?”

“It’s a work in progress,” Bolin admitted. “One in which we have no idea if I have had any success. I’m hoping it’s more successful than you almost getting hit by a car and making another girl jealous unintentionally. Speaking of jealousy…is that why Korra’s mad at you?”

“Yeah, Mako sighed. “I dunno. Things haven’t been great since I started working with the police. And she’s been having fun with others so much lately. I just kinda blew up at her.”

“Talk to her dude,” Bolin told him with an encouraging pat on the back. And hey, he could actually give some advice here. It was nice to actually feel a little useful…even if it was because he’d gotten the same advice in trying to pursue his own love. “Try to schedule a regular meeting time you can get together with her. No reason to be jealous if you get to spend time with her too.”

“Yeah, that’s true. That’s a good idea. Thanks Bolin,” Mako replied, finally smiling.

“No problem bro,” Bolin commented. “Anyway, I gotta get to bed. Night Mako.”

“Wait!” Mako called. “I get why you don’t want my help trying to get together with this dude. I dunno whether I’d do more harm than good, but why don’t you want me to know who it is? Do you think I’d go give him the shovel talk or something? I wouldn’t out you like that.”

“I know that, Mako,” Bolin said. “I do trust you. You’re my brother. But I’m just not ready to let it out. I don’t really know why. I just know that I don’t feel ready. Sorry.”

“Well, it’s cool I guess,” Mako said with a shrug. “I think I kind of get it. It had to be pretty hard just to tell me that you love another dude.”

“Yeah, it was,” Bolin admitted. “But we’re cool, right?”

“Yeah, totally cool,” Mako assured him.

“Okay, cool,” Bolin said. “So…night Mako.”

“Night Bolin.”

Bolin went to sleep that night with a smile on his face and calming peace in his heart.


End file.
